


Adventures of the Reddington Family

by jackandsamforever



Series: Jack O'Sullivan (No 12) [3]
Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: Baby!Fic, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-11 20:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1177383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackandsamforever/pseuds/jackandsamforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is going to be a series of one-shots chronicling Red, Liz and Alec after the "Jack O'Sullivan" and "Navigation" adventures. You can still read these stories even if you haven't read JOS and Navigation, but it would be more enjoyable if you read those first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a series of one-shots chronicling Red, Liz and Alec. I'll update when the muse strikes; but I don't know how many I'll write.
> 
> For those of you who haven't read "Jack O'Sullivan (No 12)" and "Navigation", you can still read these stories, but you would probably like this better if you read those fics first. Alec is a baby that Liz adopted; Red is trying get back in Liz's good graces so they can be a family after they fell in love posing as a married couple in "Jack O'Sullivan". They just got back from being on the run for five months.
> 
> Alec is six months old in this first one-shot.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Blacklist or its characters.

When Liz had asked Red to babysit for a few hours so she could go into work, he'd told her he would be happy to. That had been an hour ago, and he was seriously regretting his life choices at the moment. He hadn't been around a baby in over twenty years and didn't remember it being this difficult.

They'd returned from London only two weeks ago, so things between him and Liz were still somewhat strained. He told her as often as possible that he loved her and that the only place he wanted to be was with her and Alec; but she always acted like she didn't believe him, and expected him to be gone in the morning.

He still had to travel to keep up appearances because they were still working on his Blacklist, but he was taking a break so he could gain some of Liz's trust back. That was the most important thing to him at the moment.

He sat down on the couch and watched as Alec tried to reach for a toy that was too far away. He grunted and whined for a moment, but when he saw that Red wasn't going to help him out, he rolled over and got up on all fours. He hadn't quite figured out how to move from that position yet, and today wasn't any different. He rocked back and forth a few times, reaching his tiny hand forward to get the toy keys. After a few failed attempts, he sat back on his behind and started to cry. Red smiled and slid down on the floor next to him and patted his back softly, "Alec, if I help you all the time, you're never going to learn how to crawl." Alec stopped crying for a second and looked up at Red with disdain, as if he'd understood what Red had told him. Red tried not to laugh, but failed, and Alec started to cry again.

Red sighed, he was too old for this, he should be a grandfather by now; not a dad. But there wasn't any way he was going to abandon them now, he loved them too much to do that, and he hoped to eventually marry Liz and adopt Alec. He didn't think he could live without them in his life; he'd already tried once to distance himself, and it only made him miserable. He didn't deserve a second chance to have a family, but since it'd been thrown into his lap, he couldn't squander the opportunity.

The sudden silence broke Red out of his reverie and he looked down to where Alec had been only seconds ago. He wasn't anywhere in sight. Shit. Red's knees cracked as he stood up slowly and went to find the miniature escape artist. He searched the living room and didn't seem him anywhere. Panic was something he didn't feel often, but he was feeling it now. Liz would never forgive him if something happened to the baby because of his inattention.

He quickly walked into the kitchen and breathed out a sigh of relief. Alec was sitting on the kitchen floor playing with the keys that he'd been trying to reach before. Red hadn't even noticed him retrieve the toy, or roll away from him, and realized that he couldn't afford to daydream. Alec needed all of his concentration.

Alec was furiously gumming away at the keys, and he'd been fussy all day long. Red wondered if he was teething, but he couldn't remember anything about when that had happened to his daughter, so he was guessing. It felt like he was going through all of this the for the first time again. At least Alec helped to fill the void in his heart over his daughter's death. It was still painful to think about her, but not as much as it used to. Liz helped too.

He shook his head, he couldn't start thinking about her or he would get way too distracted.

Alec started fussing again and Red glanced at his watch, it was time to feed him. Liz wanted him to try to give the baby some rice cereal. She'd only introduced it to him a week ago, and he didn't seem to like it too much. It was going to be a big mess.

Red scooped Alec up and put him in the car seat that was sitting on the table. He started crying harder, so Red dug the pacifier out of the seat and stuck it in his mouth. Alec seemed surprised at first, but started sucking on it, seemingly content for the moment. Red rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt as he walked over to the counter and began making the cereal up. It looked as bad as it tasted, and he understood why the baby didn't like it. He grabbed a clean bib out of a drawer and walked over to Alec. He was staring up at his toys that were hanging from the handle, and didn't notice Red until he started putting the bib on him. He started crying again, and Red began rocking the seat slightly so he would quiet down. Red picked up the bowl and scooped up a tiny bite to give to him. He put it in Alec's mouth and waited for him to spit it out; surprised when he swallowed it, he continued to scoop small bites in his mouth until it was gone. He must have been really hungry, or Red was just that good. He was _so_ going to gloat to Lizzy when she returned home.

He wiped the baby's face off, then stood up to make him a bottle. Having done that, he walked back over to him and took Alec out of his seat, then walked back into the living room. He sat down in the recliner and began feeding him the bottle. Red glanced up at the time and saw that Liz was supposed to be back in two hours. That gave him enough time to give Alec a bath, dress him, then put him to bed. That was Red's favorite time of the day; bed time. It gave he and Liz a chance to sit down and talk out their problems and to grow closer. They had their best discussions in bed after making love. He loved the quiet times; that's why it was so difficult for him to have a baby around again.

When Alec finished the bottle, he put him on his shoulder and began to burp him. When they'd first returned home, and Red had "moved" in with them, she'd had to teach him how to do everything. When they'd been on the run, he'd had hardly anything to do with the baby and was never alone with him for more than an hour; he regretted that now. His first time burping Alec hadn't turned out so well, as he'd thrown up all over his shoulder and ruined an expensive dress shirt. He didn't remember babies being this messy either.

Alec finally burped, so he turned him over and placed the baby on his lap so that he was facing him. His lids were half-closed and he looked to be well on his way to falling asleep. Red smiled faintly and ran a finger over his soft cheek, then stood up with him on his shoulder again. He needed to give him a bath before he fell asleep.

He walked upstairs as fast as his knees would allow and put Alec in the playpen that was in their room. Alec started to cry again at being put down, so Red hurried into the bathroom and filled up the baby tub that was sitting in the regular tub. He could hear the baby's cries and rolled his eyes. This had been the longest two hours of his life. He retrieved Alec and undressed him, then placed him in the tub. He acted surprised at first, but gave Red a big toothless smile soon after. It was during moments like these that Red really loved the kid; when he wasn't crying. He washed his hair and body with the baby soap (Liz had had to show him the "Proper" way to do that; it had ended up with her on the bathroom counter with him between her legs, kissing his way up to her mouth and running his hands up her thighs, until Alec reminding them that there was a baby unattended in water, albeit a small amount, that needed to be paid attention to.)

With that memory in his mind, he finished up Alec's bath, wrapped him in a little monkey towel, and carried him into his bedroom to get him dressed.

He placed Alec on the changing table and unwrapped the towel, and was promptly peed on. He tried to cover his little part with a diaper, but was too slow, and had a line of pee across his shirt and vest. This was at least the fourth time that that has happened to him, and he was obviously too dumb to learn his lesson. He sighed, once again lamenting for Liz's return, and stripped off his vest and shirt while keeping one hand on the baby so he wouldn't roll off. Bare chested, he put on lotion, a diaper, and pajamas with baseballs all over them. Alec was half-asleep as he finished, so he picked him up softly and sat down in the rocking chair next to the crib. He was warm and smelt clean, and Red realized that he loved these moments the absolute most. He felt like a father, and wished he could always feel this way when it came to Alec; but there would inevitably be more messes, disappearances, crying, and peeing that would take this feeling away. He hated that, but it was part of being a parent.

After a few more moments of rocking, he stood up and placed Alec in his crib. He didn't stir, so Red covered him up with a thin blanket, then looked up to see Liz leaning against the door frame with a small smile on her face. He hadn't even heard her come in.

He walked towards her and closed the door after she backed out of the doorway. "Hey, how did everything go?" She was eying his bare chest; probably wondering why he just had dress pants and shoes on.

Red wasn't going to tell her about losing Alec momentarily, but he would tell her everything else, "Other than being peed on, I think everything went rather well. Although I don't know how you do it everyday, I think I would go insane if I tried."

He approached her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, then kissed her ear and whispered, "I missed you. I'm glad you came back earlier than usual."

She moved back a step and ran her fingers down through his chest hair, then raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and why's that?"

He grinned wolfishly and started backing her towards their bedroom, kissed her softly, then said, "Why don't I show you instead of tell you?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Red, you need to get him ready to go. We're going to be late," Liz said to Red's back as he stood at the counter packing a bag while little two-year old Alec laid on the floor throwing a fit.

"Lizzie, I know. I'm trying to get his bag together," he said over Alec's wails.

She rolled her eyes and bit into her dry toast. She'd been feeling queasy for a few weeks, and it seemed like all she had been able to eat lately was bland, tasteless food; she tried to hide it from Red, but she knew that he noticed. It was impossible to hide anything from him.

She took one more bite of her toast, then threw it away and said after she swallowed, "I told you that I would do that. Now please, Red, you need to get him dressed."

Red sighed, then walked over and picked Alec up quickly by the armpits and carried him into the living room without looking at Liz. Alec's screams went from "I want tandy" over and over to, "No, dada..nooooo."

Red thought back to when Alec had first called him "dada". Alec was a little over fifteen months old, and had been asleep on his shoulder as they walked out of the park at twilight. When Red began to buckle Alec in his car seat, he opened his eyes partway and mumbled quietly, "Dada", then closed them again. That had been his first word, and Red had been so overwhelmed that he sat there leaning against the car until Liz approached him and wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled, "Dada just _had_ to be his first word. Not mommy..go figure." Red huffed a laugh and said, "Of course, Lizzie, I wouldn't expect anything different." Then he leaned down and kissed her ear and whispered, "Thank you for allowing me to be in his life."

Red shook himself from his thoughts, then patted the top of Alec's head and said near his ear, "You need to stop crying, Alec. We're going to leave soon." Alec didn't listen though, as he continued to wail.

He wrestled with Alec for another ten minutes, but managed to get him dressed and ready to go by the time Liz walked in looking frazzled and annoyed. Red didn't say a word to her, lest she snap at him for something else that he didn't do; it seemed like in the past few weeks she'd been quick to anger and short with everyone around her. He'd also noticed that she didn't eat much, and when she did, she ate crackers and toast. He had a feeling there was something else going on, and she wasn't telling him.

Red slid Alec's coat on and held him in front of him as he started to zip it up. Alec's tears stopped as he sniffled and said beseechingly, "Dada, tar?"

Red gave him a small smile and patted his cheek, "Yes, we're going in the car. Are you ready to go?"

Alec screamed "YES" loudly and began running around the living room, suddenly the happiest toddler alive. Red looked up at Liz from his spot on the floor and studied her closely. She walked over to him and held a hand out, which he took gratefully. As soon as he was on his feet, he reached forward and pulled her into a hug. He nuzzled her neck, then her ear as he said softly, "Lizzie, what's going on with you?"

She took a deep breath, which he could feel because they were tightly pressed together, and said, "I'm just a little stressed. I'll be fine."

He knew she was lying, but it wouldn't do any good to call her out on it. Instead he pulled away and said, "Let's go, Alec's going to fall and crack his head open." They were meeting Ressler and Meera at her house for dinner, and Meera had warned them that if they were late there would be dire consequences.

Red pulled away and caught Alec as he made another turn around the living room. Alec held his arms out for Liz and said, "Mommy, carry!" Red shrugged his shoulders and handed him over, then let Liz pass him as they walked out of the house.

OOOOOO

By the time they made it to Meera's house, they were all in a bad mood. Liz snapped at both Red and Alec every time they tried to talk to her, and Red had just about had it with her crossness. Alec was pouting in the his car seat, mumbling words that he couldn't understand. Red killed the engine and turned to her with narrowed eyebrows, "Elizabeth, this is getting ridiculous. You've been short with Alec for weeks now, and that's not even counting how you've treated me, talk to me or we go home and have it out there."

She turned to him with tears in her eyes, "I know..I just..I don't know." She didn't elaborate, so Red reached his hand over and took hers and said warningly, "Lizzie."

She took a deep breath, then while staring at the dash in front of her said, "I think I might be pregnant."

He wasn't surprised. That was what he'd expected to hear after her behavior of late. He squeezed her hand, "Have you taken a test?"

She swallowed loudly and shook her head. "No. I've been in denial. This wasn't supposed to happen!"

Liz turned her face to his; she looked heartbroken. "I never wanted my own child, Red, you know that."

He nodded, trying not to look like he was panicking on the inside. "As much as it pains me to say this, there are options available to you." He didn't even want to consider those possibilities, but it was her body, and therefore her decision.

Her eyes widened as she realized what he was implying. "No, no way. I would never, ever get an abortion." Internally, he heaved a huge sigh of relief.

She let go of his hand and wiped the tears away from her eyes, "We can talk about this later. We're already five minutes late."

He pursed his lips and nodded. "That's fine, but you're not going to continue to avoid the subject. I won't allow it."

She looked at him angrily. "You wont "allow" it? That's bullshit, Red. I don't care if you're my lover/partner. You don't get to-"

He cut her off with a low voice, pitched so Alec couldn't hear it. "Don't you dare use that language around Alec; we'll discuss this later."

Instead of continuing to argue, she nodded with tears in her eyes and opened her door. He grabbed a hold of her bicep and when she turned to him he said, "I love you, and no matter what happens, you have to know that."

"I do." Then she pulled her arm from his grasp and stepped out of the car. Red sat back in his seat and sighed, it was going to be a long night.

OOOOOO

The next two hours were awkward and uncomfortable. Liz didn't say much, and when she did, she gave short responses and didn't try to carry on the conversation. Ressler and Meera both looked at Red multiple times during dinner, asking him with their eyes what was going on. He always just rose his eyebrows at them until they gave up and continued eating. Alec only ate a small amount before beginning to whine that he wanted down. When they let him down, Meera's daughter got down from her chair and began playing with him; he was glad that she was willing to amuse Alec, even though she was a lot older.

The adults moved to the living room with wine glasses in hand. Red sat next to Liz on the loveseat and put his arm on the back of the couch behind her. Red, Meera, and Ressler talked about work and other inconsequential things, while Liz stayed mostly silent. He moved his arm down and put it around her shoulders, then pulled her close to his side. She didn't resist and put her head on his shoulder; no one seemed to notice that she never took a drink of her wine.

OOOOOO

By the time they left, Alec was cranky and whiny again. When Red put him back in his car seat, Alec said loudly, "Dada, no weave..no weave." He ran a hand over his cheek softly and said, "I know you don't want to leave, but it's bedtime."

He began crying as Liz slid into the passenger seat. She didn't turn to look at either one of them as she laid her head back on the head rest and heaved a sigh.

Red closed Alec's door, then got in the driver's seat. He looked at Liz, but decided not to try to get her to talk while in the car. Alec was still crying quietly in the back seat, but he knew that he was overtired, so he wasn't going to say anything; it would only make things worse.

When they arrived home, Liz walked upstairs and straight into their bedroom. Red gave Alec a bath and put his pajamas on, then put him to bed. His eyes were already closed by the time he finished putting a blanket over him.

Red walked into their bedroom and found Liz already in bed with the blankets pulled up around her chin. He could tell by her breathing that she wasn't asleep, but was trying to pretend that she was.

He took his gray vest and white dress shirt off, then pulled his trousers off and laid them over a chair; leaving him in just his white boxers.

He turned off the light and slid into bed, then moved close to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. He kissed the back of her neck, then the spot below her ear and whispered against her skin, "I know you're not asleep, Lizzie."

She didn't respond, so he moved his hand beneath her sleep shirt and splayed it over her lower abdomen; right where the baby would be at this stage. He moved his fingers soothingly until she cleared her throat and said in a low voice, "It's just so surprising to me, and I was completely blindsided. I feel better now knowing that you're supportive, but I'm still having a hard time accepting it. I know I haven't taken a test, but it doesn't matter; I know I am."

He moved his hand up and down her stomach, "I'm sorry, we should have taken more precautions."

"It's not your fault, I didn't think I could get pregnant. Hell, I don't think I ever had a proper orgasm until I started sleeping with you."

He huffed an amused laugh, "Well, now you know, but it's a hell of a way to find out."

She nodded and pushed her body further back into his and sighed. "I guess if I was ever going to have a child biologically, I'm glad that you're the father and not anyone else."

He moved his hand higher up and skimmed the underside of her breasts, noticing that she had removed her bra. She turned over and without preamble, kissed him, opened mouthed and demanding. He skimmed his hand down her side and cupped her ass to pull her flush against his body so she could feel just how much he wanted her. She moaned into his mouth and moved her free hand under the waistband of his boxers, then up his side and over his chest as they continued to explore each other.

It didn't matter that they'd been together for two years; they still acted like teenagers when they were alone together. Their want and desire for each other had never diminished, but had instead grown stronger. It took everything in him most days not to pull her onto her desk at the Post Office and pound into her until she begged for mercy. He knew she wouldn't resist because she was just as bad as he was. Getting her pregnant satisfied his most primal instincts as a male, and he couldn't help but be proud that _he_ and nobody else had managed to knock her up. It was a thought that he would never tell another soul about; especially Liz.

OOOOOO

After they made love, she curled up against him and fell asleep quickly. He knew the coming months were going to be difficult, but he couldn't help but think that he was getting another chance with a child that was his own. He was going to do everything in his power to keep it safe; no matter what. He loved Alec like he was his own, and would never play favorites with his own child, but he was happy that there was going to be someone else to pass on the Reddington bloodline; and maybe this time, everything would go right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red-Ace-Of-Spades from tumblr requested that I write another chapter. So here it is. This is dedicated to you. Thanks for reading everyone, I would love to hear what you think. :)


	3. Easter Egg Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec goes on his first Easter egg hunt.

"How do you feel about Easter, Lizzie?"

Liz shrugged and sat down on the couch next to Red with a piece of toast in her hand. "I don't have any strong feelings either way. Growing up, we didn't celebrate the religious aspect of it. We did Easter egg hunts and ate candy, but that's all I remember...why?"

Red unbuttoned his vest and relaxed further into the couch. "Well since it's Easter today, I didn't know if you would insist on taking Alec to church."

Liz smiled and moved closer to him, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "No, but I think we should take him to an Easter egg hunt. He's three, so I think he's finally old enough for something like that."

As Liz moved away from him, he caught her hand and pulled her back to him so he could kiss her softly. After a few moments he pulled away and gave her a small smile. "And where is the little terror?"

She slapped his arm lightly and moved away again. "He's taking a nap, I just got home a few minutes before you did. The babysitter said he was wild today, and got up earlier than normal."

Red closed his eyes tiredly and put his sock clad feet up on the coffee table. "Good, because I feel like a nap is in order. Its been a long week."

Liz reached over and ran her hand up the inside of his thigh, stopping just short of the inseam. "The Easter egg hunt is in a half hour. You don't have time to sleep."

He cracked an eye open and glanced down at where her hand was resting, then back up at her. "If you don't move your hand, we're not going to make it anyway."

She grinned at him teasingly, squeezing the inside of leg a few times before moving her hand and sitting up. "I'll take a rain check. Will you wake him up and get him ready while I change my clothes?" She moved to stand, but he reached over and put his hand on her lower back, then moved it under her shirt and moved his fingers over her spine softly. "How are you feeling?"

She looked over her shoulder and grimaced slightly. She was three months pregnant and was just starting to have more good days than bad ones. She had been sick a lot, but those days were beginning to be less frequent. She was barely showing, so nobody but the FBI higher-ups knew about her pregnancy, and they agreed to allow her to work as long as she could. "I'm feeling a little queasy today, but it's not too bad."

Red wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back towards him so she was sitting flush against him, then moved his hand under her shirt to rest it on the small swell below her belly button. "Have you eaten?"

She nodded and put her hand on top of his. She loved it when he was like this, warm and cuddly; she never wanted these moments to end. "I ate bland things today, but I haven't thrown anything up, so I'm ok." He took a deep breath and nodded, then began caressing her stomach lightly. She needed to get up, or they would never make it on time. She scooted forward and began to get up, but he moved his hand up to her bra strap and unhooked it before she could get away. Liz stood up shook her head. "Really?"

Red huffed a laugh and stood up and pulled her into an embrace so he could hook her bra back together. She sighed and burrowed her face in his neck; she loved how he smelt, and how he felt like home when she was in his arms. She wound her arms under his vest and held on to him tightly as he finished up. He ran his hands up and down under her shirt, then kissed her temple and said quietly, "Is something else bothering you, sweetheart?"

She kissed his neck and said, "Not really, just the usual. Your blacklister is giving us problems; it feels like we've been searching for him for weeks."

He swayed their bodies slightly and said, "That's what I was doing today instead of coming into the Post Office. I received a tip from someone who owes me a favor, so you'll be able to catch him tomorrow."

She tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let her go too far. She looked at him with their lips inches apart. "If you have a lead, we need to go. I'll call the babysi-"

He cut her off with a kiss, then leaned back and looked at her. "Lizzie, he's not going anywhere. He's holed up in an apartment and plans on staying there because he thinks he's safe. He'll still be there tomorrow, let's go and spend time with Alec and let him experience his first Easter egg hunt."

She brought his arm up and looked at the watch on his wrist. "Which starts in twenty minutes. We need to hurry."

As if on cue, Alec began screaming at the top of his lungs from his bedroom upstairs. Liz pulled away from Red completely and started walking towards the stairs, then said over her shoulder to him, "Please get him dressed so I can try to find something comfortable to wear that actually fits." It was time for her to buy new clothes, but she had been so busy with family and work, that she hadn't had time.

Red nodded and followed after her. He missed his little boy, and even if he was a handful he enjoyed spending time with him.

OOOOOO

"Mommy, where we goin'?

Liz turned her head and looked at Alec from the passenger seat. "We're going to go Easter egg hunting. Do you know what that means?"

Alec scrunched up his face and shook his head. "No, but I don' like eggs..they yucky!"

Red laughed quietly next to her, and Liz hid her smile so Alec wouldn't see. "Honey, we're not going to be eating or hunting real eggs. Just plastic eggs with candy inside."

At the mention of "Candy", Alec perked up and smiled, "Candy? Yayyy Candy!" He started kicking his legs excitedly. "Where's the candy?"

Liz reached back and patted his leg then said, "We're almost there, you need to be patient."

"No, patient. I want candy!" For the next five minutes Alec chanted "Candy" over and over again until Red pulled the car into the city park's parking lot and killed the engine. Red looked over at Liz and heaved a sigh. He wasn't looking forward to dealing with thousands of little kids and overbearing parents chasing after them; she smiled knowingly at him and stepped out of the car.

Red unbuckled Alec from his seat and put him on his shoulders as they made their way over to the registration table. It was a beautiful day. The sky was light blue with wispy clouds making their way lazily across it. The sun was bright and warm; there wasn't a chill in the air for the first time in a long while. The blossoms were out in full bloom, and birds were flying from tree to tree, chirping loudly; this was the nicest day he could remember in a long time. Red studied Liz out of the corner of his eye as they walked side by side on the slightly green grass. She looked tired. Her brows were pinched and she had purple smudges under her eyes. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well, but this was the first instance where he could clearly see the evidence of it. She was dressed in a tight fitting blue cap-sleeved t-shirt shirt and a pair of black yoga pants. He could see the slight swell of her belly, but only because he was looking; it wasn't obvious. She looked over at him and bumped into him playfully. "What are you looking at?"

He smiled slightly and said, "Just admiring how beautiful you are."

She shook her head and slipped her arm around his waist as they walked. He wished he could do the same, but he was busy holding Alec's wiggling legs on his shoulders; but he could tell his comment pleased her, even if she acted like she didn't believe it.

They reached the table and a bored looking woman who looked like she would rather be anywhere but there, greeted them with a fake smile. "Hi, folks. What age group?"

Liz pulled away from Red and said, "He's three."

The woman handed them a sticker that said "Two to four" and said, "His age group is set to start in ten minutes. Do you want to buy a basket?"

They didn't have one, so she nodded and dug Red's wallet out of the back of his blue dress pants. "How much?"

The woman set a bright blue, green, and purple basket on the table and said in a bored voice, "Five dollars. Cash only."

She pulled a five dollar bill out of the wad of cash he had in his wallet and handed it to her. The woman gave Liz a closed mouth smile and handed her the basket, then pointed to her right. "They're lining up over there. Only one parent is allowed to stay with them," she said dismissively.

Liz didn't bother to thank her as they made their way over to the start where hundreds of little kids were running around. When they reached the edge of the area to line up, Red stopped and said to Liz, "Do you want me to go with him?"

She wasn't feeling well again, and felt like she needed to sit down. She grimaced and nodded. "Are you sure? I know how you feel about all those little kids."

He nodded. "I'm sure. You look exhausted, Lizzie. There's a bench over there, why don't you go sit down in the shade."

She reached up and ran her hand over his stubbly jaw; he obviously hadn't had a chance to shave since that morning. "Thank you, Red." She stood up on her toes and kissed him, pressing her lips against his firmly, then slightly opening her mouth and deepening it for a moment before pulling back with small smile.

He gave her a small upturn of his lips as she handed him the basket, then turned away from her and walked towards where the officials were attempting to line everyone up. She watched him go, admiring the way he looked in his pants for the thousandth time in her life. He wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a blue vest that was unbuttoned and flapping freely behind him as he walked; it never failed to amaze her how he managed to look good in everything he wore.

She moved to the bench behind her and sighed as the pressure on her lower back was relieved. She watched as Red took Alec down from his shoulders and handed him the basket, then crouched down next to him and started pointing at things in front of them. He must have been telling Alec what he needed to do. Red looked like every other father out there, and she couldn't help the sting of tears that pressed at the back of her eyes; damn hormones.

She was lost in her own little world until she heard her name. "Elizabeth Scott?"

Liz blinked and looked up to see a man who she hadn't seen in a long time; not since her days in Nebraska. She gave him a small smile, but couldn't remember his name. "That's me..and you are?"  
"Logan. Logan Anderson. We went to school together. I haven't seen you for so long."

Liz remembered that he had been one of the school jocks, and a bully; she had never liked him. He was still well-built, but he was balding and had bad teeth. "I remember you. It has been a long time." She heard a loud whistle and looked around him to see little Alec start running towards some eggs he had his eye on. Logan glanced behind him and said, "Do you have a little one running around over there?"

Liz didn't look up at him as she nodded, "Yes, my son." She wasn't trying to be rude, but she wanted to watch Alec, not chat with an old acquaintance. She kept her eyes trained on her boys as they moved across the grass. Alec had a big grin on his face as he picked up candy and eggs, and Red trailed after him with a smile of his own. She felt, rather than saw, Logan sit down next to her, but she didn't acknowledge him as she continued to watch. After another five or ten minutes passed, another whistle blew, indicating that time was up. She saw that Alec was carrying a full basket. He had flushed cheeks and a wide grin, and Liz was glad that she had made a point to come today; if only to see that sweet smile. She sat back and put her hand on her swell, then turned to Logan and gave him a small smile. "Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but this was my son's first Easter egg hunt."

He was sitting closer than she liked, but didn't move away because she didn't want to antagonize him further. "Oh, it's fine. I have two daughters running around here with their mom somewhere, so I understand." She saw him glance at her left hand, then look back up at her with a grin; he was obviously still a player and a womanizer. "So are you married?"

She cleared her throat and watched as Red led Alec by his hand towards them. He hadn't spotted Logan yet because he was too busy talking to Alec. "Yes. That's my husband right there." She wasn't going to explain their complicated relationship, and they might as well be married. Logan turned and looked at Red with surprise, then turned back to her, "That's your husband?" He said in disbelief.

She nodded and stood up. "Yes. It was nice seeing you again, Logan. I have to go now."

She walked away without another word. She could hear him trying to get something out, but he never said anything before she walked out of earshot.

Liz approached Alec and Red and said, "Wow, you've got a lot of candy there buddy!"

Alec nodded as she crouched down and began to look through his basket. "You're never going to be able to eat all that. Are you going to let Mommy and Daddy eat some?"

Alec shook his head and frowned. "No, it's mine. No share."

Liz smiled and stood up to see Red looking at Logan with a peculiar look on his face. "What's wrong, Red?"

He looked at her and tilted his head slightly. "Who's that? He's looking at you in a way that I don't like."

She reached forward and toyed with a button on his dress shirt. "I went to high school with him. I hated him then, and he clearly hasn't changed much since. He's not worth your time."

He narrowed his eyes at him once more, then looked at Liz and kissed her softly. When he pulled back he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said, "Do you feel up to eating? I'm famished."

She wrapped her arm around his waist and nodded. "I'm feeling a little better, so we can try."

He nodded and led them back to the car. Alec began to lag behind while trying to carry his basket, so Liz took the basket from him as Red put him back on his shoulders. He screamed for the basket for a second until Liz shook her head and said, "You can have it in the car. If I give it to you now, you'll drop it."

He crossed his arms in a pout, but stopped whining when they reached the car. Red buckled him in his seat and handed the basket to him after he finished. Alec took it with a big grin and began sorting through it with his chubby fingers.

Red slid into the drivers seat and watched Liz as she buckled her seat belt then reached over and put her hand on his thigh. He started the car, then turned to her and said, "Where did you want to eat?"

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "I don't care. Somewhere where I can get oatmeal or toast."

Red nodded and pulled out of the parking lot to drive to one of his favorite diners. It was a hole in the wall, but it had the best food.

They ate quickly and without incident. Liz could only stomach a piece of toast and some sprite, but she was glad she was able to get something down. Sometimes on days like these, she wasn't able to eat anything.

By the time they finished eating it was beginning to get dark. Alec kept nodding asleep in the car, then startling awake as his head moved. They reached the house and put Alec to bed without incident; which was a good sign of how tired he was.

Liz sat on the couch and turned the TV on as Red brought Alec's basket over and set it on the coffee table. He had shed his vest and unbuttoned his shirt; exposing the white undershirt that was still tucked into his pants. He sat down next to Liz, then leaned forward and began searching through the basket. He opened egg after egg, only to be disappointed with jelly beans and cheap toys. He looked over his shoulder at her and said, "Don't they give out anything good these days?"

Liz laughed and put her hand on his back, then began to massage his shoulders. "I don't think they give anything away that could cause an allergic reaction."

Red shook his head and picked up a red jellybean. "I guess this will have to do then." He popped it into his mouth and grimaced as he chewed. "I honestly don't understand why people enjoy eating these. Do you want one?"

She shook her head and moved her hand under his dress shirt. "No, I'm just now starting to feel better."

He nodded and continued to dig around the basket. He pulled out a little sticker book, then peeled a bunny off and stuck it to Liz's shirt, over her heart. He smiled at her and said, "Happy Easter, sweetheart."

She grinned and said, "Happy Easter. Thanks for being a great dad."

Red leaned back, apparently giving up on finding anything good in the basket, and put her feet over his lap. He took her right foot and began to massage it the way she liked. She turned the TV to a show on the Discovery Channel, then laid back and enjoyed his foot massage. They might not be a traditional family, or one that celebrated Easter like normal, but she felt more content than she had in a long time. She was perfectly happy with her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I have a bunch of other fics that need to be updated. But I had surgery and I've been unable to write for almost 2 weeks now. I figured I would ease back into writing by writing a fluffy chapter..haha. I would love to hear what you guys think, I'm kind of nervous since it's been so long. Thanks so much for reading, and have a happy Easter. :)


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